Specialist Hull-based firm Precision Drilling is currently assisting a contractor working for a large retail organisation, which is refurbishing projects across the UK.
The contract was awarded to Precision Drilling partly based on the company’s high level of internal controls, such as health and safety, quality and environmental, as well as being competitive on cost and flexible on timings.
The work, initially on a trial shop site in the south-east of England, required extreme care and sensitivity in demolition and refurbishment. It also utilised a broad selection of the services Precision Drilling offers to the many UK industrial sectors in which the company operates.
Ian Wilkinson, managing director of Precision Drilling, said: “Potentially, the work could have been intrusive, as it was conducted on an evening whilst the shop was still operational during the daytime, but our sawing and drilling operatives were able to ensure that it was virtually vibration and dust free.”
Concrete floor sawing:
The majority of Precision Drilling’s sawing work on the job has been carried out using a 63amp 3 phase floor saw, which eliminates fumes from using the conventional diesel saw.
This has involved large sections of concrete areas being cut out utilising the floor saw, and then lifting out the cut sections to leave a large area to form the pit of an escalator base.
More confined areas required the use of the track saw and a ring saw, these were utilised for the more restrictive areas where the floor saw could not access.
In order to create new door openings an electric wall saw was utilised, this was to ensure the accuracy of cutting, this then eliminated any problems with the fitting of doorframes.
Concrete drilling:
Concrete core drilling has been used throughout the project for a variety of different applications ranging from small diameter holes (20mm) for dowels and anchor bolts to much larger diameter holes (500mm) for piles and air conditioning ducts.
Hydraulic cruncher:
The work has also required Precision Drilling to incorporate advanced, unconventional, job specific equipment to demolish sections of concrete. For example, using a hydraulic cruncher to remove concrete sections in a controlled manner, virtually eliminating noise, vibration and dust.
Strict water controls:
When conducting sawing and drilling, water had to be utilised to aid the cooling of the blade/bit as well as to eliminate the dust.
However, because of the sensitive nature of the trial site it was essential that any water was controlled to avoid contamination to areas of the building as well as stock damage.
